He reached out and tapped Jamal’s sleeve, a gesture of disrespect so casual it was shocking.
Jamal kept his voice soft, composed. “I am fine here. Just observing.”
Richard chuckled, a sound devoid of humor. “Observing? Right.” He snapped his fingers at a passing server. “Get this man a towel or something. He looks like he’s sweating through that budget suit.”
A few guests nearby snickered. “Who let him into VIP?” one man whispered loudly.
Then came Vanessa. Her heels clicked a sharp rhythm on the marble floor. She snatched a glass of heavy red wine from a passing tray without looking at the server. She looked Jamal up and down, her eyes cold.
“You know, sweetie,” she drawled, her voice dripping with condescension, “if you needed work tonight, you could have just signed up at the agency. Pretending to be a guest isn’t the move.”
Jamal said nothing. His silence was a mirror, reflecting their ugliness back at them. It unsettled her.
“Seriously?” Vanessa stepped closer, invading his personal space. “Do your job. Take this to table three. They’re waiting.”
She thrust the wine glass toward his chest. Jamal didn’t move. He didn’t reach for it.
Vanessa’s smile vanished. “Are you deaf?”
“Allow me,” Richard interrupted. He grabbed the glass from his wife’s hand. “One less confused worker ruining the vibe.”
He lifted the glass high. He made sure the room was watching. Then, with a sneer, he tilted his wrist.
The dark red liquid splashed onto Jamal. It hit his chest, warm and sharp, soaking into the navy fabric, staining the white shirt beneath.
Gasps cut through the room. The music seemed to stop.
“Damn, he really did that,” someone whispered.
“He’s ruining the suit!”